Many individuals have strong recollections of a beloved family pet. Our lives can be enriched by many kinds of animals including; dogs, cats, guinea pigs, and birds. In many cases, they are our close companions. Quality of life and symptom management for people who have hearing loss can also be improved by having a pet friend.
Sometimes, pets are specifically trained to provide special benefits. Particular tasks or specific types of help can be carried out by these animals which are trained to provide help to individuals with hearing loss. Sometimes, though, that’s not the case. Companionship and comfort can come from animals with no specialized training. Special friendships between animals and individuals who have hearing loss are often formed as a result.
Can owning a pet provide improved mental health?
Neglected hearing loss can be incredibly isolating, making it hard to hear and understand those around you. Communication becomes fraught and, as a result, you may spend less time socializing with others.
So, is owning a pet helpful for people who have hearing loss? It sure is! A cat, dog, or other companionable animal can communicate in lots of of non-verbal ways. Clear communication with animals can be achieved without the need to hear verbal language. Individuals with hearing loss can successfully bond with a wide variety of pets (this is usually dependent on personal preferences), and these pets can give comfort and emotional support during what may be a very lonely time.
Clearly, this doesn’t replace contact between humans. But it can provide some solace and assistance when making other connections can be difficult. Also, pets can offer you more chances to connect with other humans. Even if you’re not necessarily talking with people or making new friends, doing things like taking your dog for a walk in the park can give you the chance to be around others.
Pets can be ideal assistants
Service dogs, as an example, make use of specialized training to help their humans navigate the world more safely. Mostly, that means these service animals are trained to be aware of sounds that people with hearing loss might otherwise miss.
Here are some things that a service dog can do for somebody with hearing loss:
- Detecting dangerous sounds like oncoming traffic.
- Observing (and alerting their human) to everyday sounds like tea kettles, alarm clocks, or the phone ringing.
- Service dogs can even be trained to recognize their human’s name, and when that human is being spoken to. This can help those with hearing loss better engage in communication.
- Detecting a knock at the door or a ringing doorbell.
- Informing their human when the smoke alarm goes off.
Service animals are specially trained to notice these sounds and convey them to their human. But other non-service animals can also be useful to someone with hearing loss. Even a dog without any training will often bark when somebody rings the doorbell or knocks on the door. Similarly, cats or other animals can be quite sensitive to sudden noises or changes, and those who are aware and dialed in with their pets might be able to recognize these things, too.
A symbiotic relationship
Many of the benefits that a pet can bring to your life might not even be recognized. They will immediately add a degree of structure to your day-to-day life. For instance, they will need to be walked, fed, and loved several times each day. A structured life like this can be really comforting. It’s one reason why all types of animal-assisted therapy types exist.
But it’s essential to be thoughtful if you’re thinking about getting a pet or a service animal. You will need to be able to properly care for the animal you pick and you will want one that will meet your requirements.
While a service animal can be a big help, they aren’t able to provide the same degree of lasting benefits or the same capabilities as a hearing aid. Pets can, however, be great companions and can enhance your overall quality of life. For individuals with a hearing loss, they can be an invaluable, and unique, part of their life.
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